The global forecaster

Pillar:

Daniel Franklin – veteran global affairs journalist and esteemed expert on future trends in politics, business and technology – clearly has no fear of commitment. The Executive Editor of The Economist (since 2006) has been with the authoritative publication since 1983 – back when there was still a cold-warring Soviet Union and an isolated East Germany. In those early years, Daniel covered Soviet and East European affairs; in the early ’90s he served as Washington Bureau Chief during Bill Clinton’s first term, and in 1997 he moved back to London to become Editorial Director of the Economist Intelligence Unit, which provides country, risk and industry analysis with respect to some 200 countries. At his ongoing gig as editor of The Economist’s well-known “The World in…” series, which offers insights and predictions for the year ahead, he has spoken and written extensively about the coming days, years and decades. For Daniel, “innovation” is less a marketing buzzword and more of an absolute necessity. In discussing the future, he urges us to strategically prepare for a fast-approaching tomorrow with profound challenges and great stakes for a global population that is expected to swell to nine billion by 2050.

“[Collaboration is] not going to just happen because people are nice and decide to get together. You have to align interests.”

Daniel in Ethical Corporation

Editor of Megatech: Technology in 2050 (2017) and co-editor of Megachange: The World in 2050 (2012)

Received a Degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa from Aston University for his outstanding contribution to business journalism and the study of contemporary Europe (2013)

In addition to his native English, Daniel can also parler en français, auf Deutsch sprechen and hablar español.